LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 161

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THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 161

Resolved, That the 2003 convention of the Texas District
openly, boldly, and with one accord confess the truth that only
those who place their trust in Christ as Savior are delivered from
the wrath of God, and that all who remain in unbelief, rejecting the
atonement God has provided in Jesus, are without God and without
hope in the world, abiding in death; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Texas District appeal to the 2004 Synod con-
vention to speak as clearly and boldly to these issues as we have done.

Texas District

3-05

To Affirm That No One May Worship
One True God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—
apart from Faith in Christ Jesus, Our Lord

WHEREAS, There is now some confusion in The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod that pagans also worship the one true
God; and

WHEREAS, Jesus says, “I am the way and-the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6), and
“All should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who
does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him”
(John 5:23); and

WHEREAS, Paul states that it is through Christ that we have ac-
cess to the Father (Eph. 2:18); and

WHEREAS, The natural knowledge of God from nature (Rom.
1:18-20) and conscience (Rom. 2:14—15) does not result in a true
worship of God but only heathen idolatry (Rom. 1:21-25); and

WHEREAS, Dr. Martin Luther wrote: “No heathen could say,
‘God is my God,’ unless he heard the Word. Therefore, these state-
ments are different: ‘God is the Lord of all nations,’ and ‘God is
the God of all nations.’ For he’s not the God of those who don’t
have his Word” (LW 54:57); and

WHEREAS, Monotheistic paganism is still paganism in every re-
spect, and monotheism in itself is not indicative of worshiping the
one true God (James 2:19); and

WHEREAS, All inhabitants of the earth whose names are not
written in the Lamb’s Book of Life worship not the one true God
but the beast (Rev. 13:8); therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod affirm
the scriptural doctrine that it is impossible to worship the one true
God apart from saving faith in Christ; and be it further

Resolved, That all the Synod’s officers, pastors, professors,
teachers of the church, other rostered church workers, and congre-
gations honor and uphold this understanding and teach in accor-
dance with it.

Sangre de Cristo and Eastern High Plains Circuit; Rocky
Mountain District; Springfield Circuit, Missouri District

3-06

To Support Seminary Statement

re Religious Pluralism and Knowledge of True God

WHEREAS, On May 22, 2003, the faculty of Concordia Theo-
logical Seminary, Fort Wayne, unanimously adopted a statement
titled “Religious Pluralism and Knowledge of the True God: Fra-
ternal Reflection and Discussion”; and

WHEREAS, This document clearly and simply addresses some of
the confusion, misleading statements, and doctrinal controversy
currently besetting our Synod; and

WHEREAS, We find this document to be a helpful and correct
explanation of the issues it addresses; and

WHEREAS, We judge the document to be in agreement with
Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention hereby express its
agreement with the Concordia Theological Seminary statement on

“Religious Pluralism and Knowledge of the True God: Fraternal
Reflection and Discussion”; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod in convention commend this docu-
ment to the congregations of the Synod as an authoritative resource
concerning the theological issues it addresses.

South Bend Circuit 5, Indiana District; Prince of Peace,
Goshen, IN

3-07

To Declare Christ as Only Way to Heaven
and Expose Anti-Scriptural Universalism

WHEREAS, Surveys reveal that the majority of church members
maintain that all religions worship the same true God; and

WHEREAS, The Pope and liberal Protestant churchmen often
pray with Muslims, Jews, and other non-Christians; and

WHEREAS The Athanasian Creed says: “Whosoever will be
saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic,
[i.e., universal, Christian] faith. Which faith except everyone do
keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlast-
ingly. And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in
Trinity, and Trinity in Unity . . .”; therefore be it

Resolved, That the 2004 LCMS convention declare that Jesus
Christ is the only way to heaven, Christianity is the only saving and
divinely revealed faith, and those that die without saving faith in
Jesus Christ are lost; and be it further

Resolved, That the 2004 LCMS convention ask the Board of Di-
rectors of the LCMS to request a series of articles in The Lutheran
Witness exposing the antiscriptural universalism which has infil-
trated the major denominations and defend the fact that Christianity
is the only saving and divinely revealed faith.

Trinity, New Haven, MO; Faith, Corning, NY

3-08

To Acknowledge Scriptural Doctrine re Worship
of One True God

WHEREAS, It has been asserted, expounded, and defended by
some within the LCMS that pagans (Jews, Muslims, and others)
also worship the one true God; and

WHEREAS, Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6), and
“All should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who
does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him”
(John 5:23); and

WHEREAS, Paul states that it is through Christ that we have ac-
cess to the Father (Eph. 2:18); and

WHEREAS, The natural knowledge of God from nature (Rom.
1:18-20) and conscience (Rom. 2:14—15) does not result in a true
worship of God but only heathen idolatry (Rom. 1:21-25); and

WHEREAS, Monotheistic paganism is still paganism in every re-
spect, and monotheism in itself is not indicative of worshiping the
one true God (James 2:19); and

WHEREAS, All inhabitants of the earth whose names are not
written in the Lamb’s Book of Life worship not the one true God
but the beast (Rev. 13:8); therefore be it

Resolved, That the LCMS in convention acknowledge the scrip-,
tural doctrine that it is impossible to worship the one true God apart
from saving faith in Christ.

Immanuel
Leland, MI